You know that feeling that you get when you are about to go on a trip? That feeling of butterflies in your stomach; that feeling of excitement and adventure; that feeling of escape? HELLOBONJOUR is about capturing that and trying to inspire others to experience the wonders of travel or to share tips/secrets of travel that make the journey even better.

How to travel?

Anyone ever ask that before? I mean, there are plenty of books written on “how to cook” and “how to drive a car”, but what about “how to travel”? What’s the purpose of travel? Are you going simply to get away and enjoy some downtime or are you looking for an experience for your senses where you are thrown off by every turn you make?

First tip from HELLOBONJOUR: before you choose a place to go or agree to go on a trip with friends, think to yourself, why do I want to travel? Make sure your purpose is aligned with the goal of the trip. For example, if you are looking for some pure downtime where you can read a book and chill out, don’t join your friends on an adventure to China. Seems simple enough yet for some reason people forget – and the consequences can be disastrous.

Second tip: RESEARCH. Research everything – places to stay, places to eat at, top sites to visit, best museums, best local spots, places to avoid, etc. Time is limited when you travel so you have to make the most of it. Most of the time people are traveling to get the “local experience” and most have some sort of budgetary constraints. In order to find the local experience, you have to put in time and energy to look for it. There are reasons why places are called “tourist traps” – they are for people who are too lazy to the do the necessary research. The research takes various forms – trolling through different websites, emailing people who have been to the place, searching through guidebooks, finding reviews, etc.

So, here at HELLOBONJOUR, I’m going to try to show you some places I’ve been and some things I learned at each. I’m a big believer in “there’s no point in reinventing the wheel – someone has already researched whatever you are looking for”. Hopefully, if you are planning to go to any of the places I’ve been, I can save you some time in your research and make your travels that much more enjoyable.